Written by: Dionne Greaves, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Writing a short bio or any bio, for that matter, can be a daunting task. However, every coach, consultant, or professional should invest a few minutes in writing a short bio that is authentic, power-packed, and captivating.
Here are five simple steps to help you write a short bio that leave your audience intrigued to know you more:
1. Choose the Right Voice
While bios can be written in the first person, using the words “I” and “me,” writing a bio in the third person bio makes it more personal. Hold up, you said personal, but I’m writing it in the third person. Yup, you read it right!
A bio written in the third person is more personal because you get to tell an amazing story about yourself based on facts. It is intriguing for the reader because they feel like they are getting to know an actual person and not just reading the facts about your life. It will captivate your audience and allows you to creatively share mundane facts about yourself without boring your audience to death. Your voice sets the tone of the script, and it should accurately reflect your personality. Don’t be afraid to make it friendly or witty while keeping it professional.
A third-person bio is usually preferred, especially if someone will be using it to introduce you to a talk show, podcast, interview, conference, summit, etc. However, if you are writing a slightly informal bio for your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn profile, first-person would probably be the best fit.
2. Identify Yourself
The first sentence of your short bio should state exactly who you are and what you do. It should include your name and your professional role or title. No one should have to read to the end of your bio to figure out who it is talking about. If you are transitioning between roles, you can use your most recent profession or accomplishment.
Feel free to include details around your family, your hobbies, or other passions. This gives a bit more insight as to who you are as a person and makes you more human, personable, and relatable. This might look something like "Dionne Greaves, The Mompreneur CEO is a wife, mom, and corporate administrative professional with more than 10 years experience. She is also a business coach and mentor to aspiring mompreneurs and helps moms build profitable online businesses using their own skills, knowledge, and expertise."
3. State Your Mission
After formally introducing yourself, readers will want to know what you are about or even why you do what you do, so be sure to share the mission behind your purpose and how you achieve this. Your personal mission may involve how you serve others, including your family and community, as well as how you or make the most of opportunities.
Your professional mission may be related to academic pursuits, advancements in your career, and various other areas. Your mission should give your reader an accurate idea of what matters the most to you. It may look something like this, “Her mission is to help every mom - become whatever she wants to be, achieve whatever she wants to achieve - and still have the mom-life she so much loves and deserves.”
4. Share Key Accomplishments
While writing a short bio is similar to writing a resume, in that you want to highlight specific professional accomplishments, you will need first to understand your audience to know the language you will need to use to convey the same message of your accomplishment without overwhelming or underwhelming them.
You want to present your accomplishments in a way so that even if your reader is not familiar with your specific industry, they still understand what you are talking about and respond positively. Stay away as much as possible from technical jargon, unless of course, the audience is familiar with your industry. A short bio will not have enough room for you to list every single accomplishment, so be mindful of this and focus on the highlights that specifically relate to your skills, knowledge, and expertise.
5. Keep It Short and Sweet
Short bios should be concise and to the point! After all, there are between three to eight sentences in length, so there is limited space to discuss personal information. Think about your audience and the purpose of this bio, as this will guide you in your approach as you splice it together.
Bonus Tip: Keep It Real
People actually want to get to know you, so avoid exaggerating the facts to impress them. Being authentic inspires genuine connecting between you and your audience, so keep it real! Authenticity is key.
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